Review: K L P S ‘K L P S’
K L P S, or KOLLAPS\E as they were previously known, are one of those bands that I’ve seen mentioned on this here website and more recently by a few people on Bluesky. With that in mind, I thought it was about time that I checked them out as their mix of post-metal and sludge noise appeals to me in a variety of ways, so I cleared my desk and waited to be entertained.
Now then, where do I start with this? Six songs of varying length, but all written and performed to an incredibly high standard, that at the end of it left me quite speechless, which is no mean feat. It really is a brute of an album, and from the opening on Subverse there is simply no let-up from the Swedish quartet. It’s a bruising, punishing first track that beats you into submission, before gently bringing you round to give you a cuddle. It is quite the audible experience that is aimed at catching people off guard.
Katarsis continues the battering of your senses but sets out their musical vision on the creative journey they are on. They combine the elements of slow, intense rhythms with powerful riffs and basslines, that allows Daniel Wallenborg to crush you with his words. It’s a song that you don’t want to end as it immerses you in their world.
slickly moving from intense to mild at will without losing any of the drama that evolves across their sonics…
Tribulation follows next, with a softer, more poignant opening, before this cacophony of sound confronts you in a full-frontal assault. It has that perfect blend of aggression and mellowness over the eight minutes, to not only play with your mind but lead it astray onto darkened, meandering paths before it guides you to a more pleasant place.
That post-metal sound is more evident at the start of Nattsvart before they build another wall of sound to mesmerise you with. I love the way they change the tempo, not once, but several times, as you’ve got no idea which direction the song is heading, but you know that it’s going to crush you into submission. With Undertow carrying the soundscape further, it only strengthens their claim for this to enter the AOTY debate.
There are not many post-metal albums that have impressed me this much on first listen, and with the final track, Aureola demonstrates their ability to create music that is on another level, as it shifts momentum, slickly moving from intense to mild at will without losing any of the drama that evolves across their sonics. A phenomenal album from start to finish.
Label: These Hands Melt
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Matthew Williams
